SIMON MURRAY has revealed he told his Dundee team-mates he would celebrate a derby goal like Emmanuel Adebayor days before stepping on to the Tannadice pitch.
The self-confessed Dark Blues supporter ran the length of the pitch to take a bow in front of the Dundee United fans after his injury time penalty helped seal his side's famous 4-2 win on Sunday.
Former United player Murray had been hit earlier in the game by a vape thrown from the same section of ground but he's adamant his actions weren't sparked by that.
The Dundee hero did a carbon copy of Adebayor when he scored for Manchester City then ran to the opposite end of the park to celebrate in front of fans of his former club Arsenal back in 2009.
Murray said: "It was actually funny because I said to the boys, 'I'm going to do an Adebayor when I score late on.
"I said that during the week and I've done it.
"I visualised it and it came true. I was doing it as soon as I got the penalty and the referee said it was the last kick of the game.
"There was only one thought in my mind.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742265282/articles/lPawjqfmjaz2yjoTADsys/6126226241.jpg]
"I knew I was not missing that penalty and it was kind of written for me because I'd thought about it all week.
"Sometimes it goes your way and it did for me."
Murray had been hit by an object thrown from the Tannadice crowd in the first half.
He knows there is banter from both sides during the heat of a derby battle but insists that overstepped the mark.
Murray said: "I just thought it was the right thing to do to be honest and just get one back.
"If you can give it out, you've got to be able to take it.
"I could take it when they beat us late on in the game at Dens.
"It's the worst feeling in the world and at the weekend it was the reverse. That's basically just one to pay back and hope you enjoy that."
Dundee had made history by beating United in the Scottish Cup for the first time in 69 years and they followed that up on Sunday with their first win at Tannadice in 21 years.
The Dundonian said: "When you sign for this club and being from the city, this is what you want to experience. It is more than 20 years since we had beat them in the league away from home.
"That was our motivation to obviously get away from trouble a bit more.
"But it was also to give our fans something to really celebrate because it's been a tough wee period. We can give them that and it gives us that confidence to push on now.
"It's just another three points but in the scheme of the situation, it's a real boost for us."
It was a massive win for Dundee as it was their first in the league since February.
It stopped the rot and moved them five points clear of rock bottom St Johnstone.
The Dark Blues caught United cold with a sizzling first-half display. They went in at half-time 3-1 up and a...
The self-confessed Dark Blues supporter ran the length of the pitch to take a bow in front of the Dundee United fans after his injury time penalty helped seal his side's famous 4-2 win on Sunday.
Former United player Murray had been hit earlier in the game by a vape thrown from the same section of ground but he's adamant his actions weren't sparked by that.
The Dundee hero did a carbon copy of Adebayor when he scored for Manchester City then ran to the opposite end of the park to celebrate in front of fans of his former club Arsenal back in 2009.
Murray said: "It was actually funny because I said to the boys, 'I'm going to do an Adebayor when I score late on.
"I said that during the week and I've done it.
"I visualised it and it came true. I was doing it as soon as I got the penalty and the referee said it was the last kick of the game.
"There was only one thought in my mind.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742265282/articles/lPawjqfmjaz2yjoTADsys/6126226241.jpg]
"I knew I was not missing that penalty and it was kind of written for me because I'd thought about it all week.
"Sometimes it goes your way and it did for me."
Murray had been hit by an object thrown from the Tannadice crowd in the first half.
He knows there is banter from both sides during the heat of a derby battle but insists that overstepped the mark.
Murray said: "I just thought it was the right thing to do to be honest and just get one back.
"If you can give it out, you've got to be able to take it.
"I could take it when they beat us late on in the game at Dens.
"It's the worst feeling in the world and at the weekend it was the reverse. That's basically just one to pay back and hope you enjoy that."
Dundee had made history by beating United in the Scottish Cup for the first time in 69 years and they followed that up on Sunday with their first win at Tannadice in 21 years.
The Dundonian said: "When you sign for this club and being from the city, this is what you want to experience. It is more than 20 years since we had beat them in the league away from home.
"That was our motivation to obviously get away from trouble a bit more.
"But it was also to give our fans something to really celebrate because it's been a tough wee period. We can give them that and it gives us that confidence to push on now.
"It's just another three points but in the scheme of the situation, it's a real boost for us."
It was a massive win for Dundee as it was their first in the league since February.
It stopped the rot and moved them five points clear of rock bottom St Johnstone.
The Dark Blues caught United cold with a sizzling first-half display. They went in at half-time 3-1 up and a...
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Daily Record (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 18, 2025